grey hawk

November 1st, 2016

2

NOV/16

This room stretches on and the creek ends in another pool under a balcony 50’ off the ground. Obregon begins tracking as we head to check the waterfall. A number of creatures including drow and some type of reptilian creatures have been using this as a water source. We find the waterfall is just that and there doesn’t appear to be anything behind it. We move to the north pool and there is a wall built along the back with the balcony atop it. It appears to be similar to the promenade in construction. We spider climb up the cavern wall until we reach the balcony, which has a small lip around the edge. Pike sees 2 large armless creatures moving around the pool that appear to be looking for something but don’t seem to see us. Beyond the balcony is a long garden observatory with 4 alcoves containing statues of Boccob and ending in a passage that appears to turn to the east out of our view. We search the room but find nothing of interest. The passage turns south again and ends at a locked door which Pike picks handily. It opens to reveal a stone paved plaza. On the left is a long banquet table with delectable food and water gushes from a fountain carved as a trio of dolphins holding a nymph on the right. Immediately to our right is an 8’ bird cage containing some exotic looking birds. There is balcony overlooking a cityscape with the smells of cooking food and sounds of yet more exotic birds. There is a door on the other side of the bird cage as well as doors in the east and west walls. As we enter, behind us appears a plaza overlooking a cityscape instead of the doors we saw originally. Sanna determines there are multiple overlapping illusions in this room. We attempt to disbelieve the illusions, Beltin manages to disbelieve the cityscape behind us and Sanna disbelieves the buffet table. However, when Beltin approaches the table, he is overcome with a compulsion to eat the food and begins taking wisdom damage from it but can’t seem to stop. Sanna attempts to knock the food out of his hand but fails. She calls Gonoan over to pull him away but he is overcome by the compulsion as well and begins to eat. Pike puts 2 flaming bolts in to the table causing it to begin to burn. Obregon puts 4 arrows in to it and it collapses after which the boys manage to stop eating. Sanna pulls them both back and ends up near the fountain and has to resist the urge to drink and warns the rest of us against approaching it. Pike is checking the bird cage, finds it locked, picks it and the door swings open on to reveal a torture device with a gagged and bound skeleton with bits of flesh still clinging to its bones in place of the birds. He decides to not investigate any closer. He and Beltin go to check the other doors in this room as they are the only ones who can see them. Pike picks the lock on and opens the eastern door behind which is a small hallway with doors along in it which we suspect leads to rooms along the promenade. We close it and move to the other south door, pick it and it opens to a hallway which leads to an odd shaped room. This room has alcoves in the walls, and arcane runes which are giving off a faint blue light. We close that door and move to the western door. It is locked but opens easily to Pike’s nimble fingers revealing a room which reeks of raw meat, vinegar and decaying flesh. Spattered on the walls and floor are thick congealing puddles of translucent slime and tacky swathes of what appears to be greenish leather and glass jars of pale liquid are hanging from chains descending from the ceiling. In each of the 4 corners is a circular stone platform just over 3’ high piled with heaps of flesh, enormous fins and coils of entrails. There are doors in both the north and south walls. To the west is a long marble table upon which lies a partially dissected fish like head with 3 eyes and 4 long tentacles protruding from below and a glowing brain inside. Pike takes 2 shots at the brain, hitting once. The head cries out to leave its lair and it will allow us to live or else feel its wrath. Beltin steps up and sprays the room with acid while Sanna moves in and throws lightning around. A huge ghostly body that appears to be match the head rises in it’s spot. Beltin swings and hits it. Sanna steps away, throws a lightning bolt at it and then translocates out of the room. Pike begins to blink, shoots it once and then moves away. Gonoan is unable to figure out where we are going or what we are doing as the illusion still holds for him. Obregon puts 7 force arrows in to the fishly spectre and when that’s not enough to destroy it, he hastes himself and shoots 2 more arrows causing the ghostly apparition to dissipate. Beltin moves up and smashes the still glowing brain after which it ceases to glow. Sanna comes back up to the room and uses detect magic, and the whole room glows. Beltin leaves the room and heals some of Gonoan’s wisdom damage. Sanna can tell there are several magical auras near the ceiling in the area of the table. Pike moves up and shoots in to the area and thinks he may have hit something. Obregon moves in to the room and approaches one of the doors. Beltin asks after some more restoration and Vexia gives a potion to both Beltin and Gonoan who are then fully recovered. Sanna gets more information on the magic in the room while Pike puts 2 more bolts in the ceiling though they don’t seem to affect anything this time. Sanna gets hit by something, but is not sure what. At that point, Obregon starts shooting the ceiling as well and seems to hit something. A skeletal lich type creature falls to the floor and becomes visible in its torpidness. What other dangers await us in these rooms?